What makes me sick
by dayana82
Summary: Written for the 10 hurt comfort challenge on LJ, the prompt was sick. Derek reveals why he called in sick very often lately.


Title: Secrets

**Title: **What makes me sick

**Fandom:** Criminal Minds

**Pairing:** Morgan/Garcia

**Prompt for 10 hurt/comfort:** #3 Sick

**Rating:** K

**Disclaimer:** Neither the show nor the characters belong to me, they belong to CBS. Nonetheless, I love to borrow them from time to time.

**Summary:** Derek reveals why he called in sick very often lately.

**warnings:** hurt/comfort, basically

"Hey, gorgeous!" she smiled handing him a six-pack of his favorite beer and a bunch of action movies. "I heard you called in sick so I came over to… check on you."

"That's nice." he frowned. "Really. But I'd rather be… alone."

"Oh, come on, Derek!" she scolded him and entered his apartment uninvited. "You know that whenever you're down I'm the one to take care of you and cheer you up."

He couldn't help but smile at that. She sashayed into his kitchen as if this apartment was her own place and grabbed some popcorn from a drawer heating it up in the microwave. Sometimes it surprised him how much she seemed to be at home at his place – and how much he liked the sight of her in his kitchen, or his apartment in general.

"Well, my beautiful behavioral analyst" she purred happily as she sat down on his couch placing the huge bowl of popcorn on her lap, "which movie is it going to be today?"

"I just bought '28 days later'." he grinned as he put it into the DVD-player.

"No, not another horror movie." she groaned. "They just give me nightmares and you know that."

His grin widened as he put his arm around her shoulders, pulled her a little closer and grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bowl in her lap. "No worries, sweetie, you've got me to protect you."

"Not from the nightmares." she grumbled.

Derek couldn't help but smirk a little every time that she jumped because it meant that with every scary scene – and there were quite a few of them in this movie – Penelope climbed a little further on his lap and buried her face even more in his chest. Until at the end he held her tight against his body, his face buried in her hair.

"Okay" Penelope sighed and stood up to get some more popcorn, "I'm up for ANY action movie now. But no horror movie again!"

"Fine." Derek said a little disappointed and opted for 'The day after tomorrow'. There were at least some really thrilling scenes that might hopefully bring her back closer to him throughout the movie.

Unfortunately, the scenes didn't seem to be thrilling enough and the popcorn bowl she'd placed on the couch between them made some more cuddling impossible.

"So… why exactly did you call in sick?" she finally asked and eyed him up. "You look fine."

Derek frowned and then grumbled: "Maybe I just needed a day off."

"You?" she exclaimed. "You barely ever take your vacations. Derek, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." he mumbled.

"Come on" she teased, "you can tell me anything, you know that. And normally you do. Is it a woman? Did one of them finally manage to break your heart before you had the chance to…"

"Maybe I'm just sick." he harshly interrupted her and jumped up from the couch.

"Sick?" Penelope repeated in a calm voice. "Did you drink too much last night or what?"

"No." Derek snorted.

"Then what?" the tone in Penelope's voice changed clearly indicated that she was getting impatient and upset.

"That's none of your business." he put her off.

"None of my…" she got up as well and stepped in front of him. "This was the third time this month you called in sick – and you haven't actually BEEN ill once!"

"Yeah, well, I used all my vacation days in the last few months." he mumbled.

"And all your extra hours as well." she added. "I know that. But I wonder WHY. That is… simply not like you."

"Oh, really?" he replied sarcastically. "Maybe you just don't know me as well as you think you do."

A little startled Penelope stared at him for a moment. Then she just said: "And you never talked to me like that before."

"Maybe I just want to be left alone!" Derek grumbled and walked towards the kitchen just to escape the situation and the upcoming fight.

But Penelope hurried to block his way. "What is wrong with you, Derek?" she asked again.

He didn't answer, just snorted.

"I'm worried about you, Derek." she finally said. "You never acted like that before. Well, actually you have after what happened in Chicago and that's the exact reason why I'm so concerned. Derek, what happened to you?"

"Nothing." he grumbled and turned away from her.

Penelope grabbed his arm and made him look back at her: "Please, talk to me!"

"I don't want to talk to anyone." he almost shouted. "Especially not you."

For a few seconds she was simply startled by his words. Then she simply said: "But you will eventually have to talk to anyone. You can't go on like this drinking the whole night through, laying some women and then calling in sick the next day."

"You wanna know what's wrong with me?" he suddenly yelled at her. "Okay, I'll tell you. I'm sick! I'm sick of you and Kevin sneaking around each other the whole day long like hungry dogs!"

"I don't think that's any of your business!" she yelled back at him. "I know that you think no one would ever want someone like me – and I know that you're not used to being wrong. But Kevin is interested in me whether that spoils your world view or not!"

"That was not…" Derek gave her a puzzled look and then he replied: "I'm sick because… because I don't like the idea of you… being with him! I just can't stand the thought of him spending the nights with you!"

"Thanks" she mumbled fighting back the tears that wanted to spring to her eyes and grabbed the movies she'd brought along, "you're really a good friend. Remind me never to come over to cheer you up again, ever!" She hurried, almost ran, towards the door to get out of his apartment as fast as possible.

Derek knew that if she left she would never return. She'd gotten him terribly wrong and if he didn't clarify what he really wanted to say now he would probably never get this chance again.

She was just reaching for the doorknob when he grabbed her, whirled her around and his body pressed her against the door. She only just had the time to gasp before his lips crashed down on hers. The kiss was fierce and pretty much forced.

When Derek pulled back he studied her face and waited until she opened her eyes to look into them when he softly said: "I don't like the idea of a Kevin Lynch getting everything I want."

"And… that is?" she panted giving him an utterly perplexed look.

Derek smirked and leaned closer so that their lips were almost touching again. "You." he whispered. "I want you, I want to be with you and spend the nights with you." And he crossed the short distance between them once again this time for a very soft, very sweet and very soulful kiss.


End file.
